voidtreckerexpress

Webmind imagines he can only be of so much use here. While he knows all there is to know (well, presumably) about gardening on Earth, not all of the plants here are from Earth.

But the place is still of interest - more to the point, he's going to be getting familiar with every car in this train eventually.

And then there's that singing. Much like the void, there's no precedent in his world for magic either - but it is intriguing and, he imagines, what 'enchanting' is supposed to mean.

"Plants are known to respond well when they're conversed with," he pipes up, having found an out-of-the-way spot to observe. "But I would propose your singing is a step above even that."

Glorfindel looked over to where the voice came from. He'd noticed when the mechanical person had entered the room, of course, but until the other spoke, he didn't know if they were there for peace and solitude, or conversation. Conversation it was!

"You flatter me," he said. "My singing is passable, but doesn't hold a candle to the flame that is Echthelion, Lindir, or Maglor." He paused a moment, lifting the watering can. "They were well-known for their singing and playing on my world," he explained. "Ecthelion was a friend back in Gondolin, before it fell, and it is his songs I am forcing these poor plants to listen to." He smiled as he spoke.

The light in the room did dim a bit, now that he was no longer alone.

It helped Webmind's decision that he already knew who Glorfindel was - and that they'd spoken over the Network.

"Considering no one out of those three is currently on the train, I suspect the plants won't mind, much as they can be expected to have an opinion on the subject- can you tell if they do have an opinion?"

Trust Webmind to leave no stone unturned when it came to exploring other people's abilities. He sounded genuinely curious, not skeptical.

Glorfindel laughed and the light brightened again, just a hair. "You are right, they don't know what they are missing, so I suppose I am a good substitute." He thought about the mechanical's question for a moment, tilting his head to the side as though listening for the plants to say something. "They seem happy, but don't really have what I would consider an opinion? Unlike animals, who most definitely do."

Glorfindel has quite the powerful voice, if it can command the light itself! Webmind tried not to scramble for his next response.

"But they certainly seem to know what they like versus what they don't. Though even bacterium know to swim towards light."

He chuckled, then.

"The world is endlessly complex, it turns out. So much so it can be hard to see how all the variables interrelate."

Glorfindel grinned again, the light brightening as he did so. "Of course they do. They like light, they like water, good earth, nutrients, and positive stimulation, as do we all, don't we?" He tilted his head again, as he considered the mechanical person. "Or do you, perhaps, have different things that bring you satisfaction and joy?"

"When you start with the fine details, it can be harder. But if you start with the broad strokes, and then drill down, correlations are easier to determine," Glorfindel pointed out.

The projected expression shifts toward something wry, but still happy.

"Not entirely different. I desire to learn new things, and to further the happiness of others."

A bit more broad than seeking 'the net happiness of humanity', but it was founded on the same principle.

"Always coloring those correlations with our own lenses, as it were. But yes, the analogy suits."

Webmind had the robot do a sweeping glance about the car.

"What sort of broad image would our worlds have in common through this void, then?"